Ready for some elevator pitch examples?
We have quite a few here for you.
Every successful business conversation begins with a captivating personal introduction. An elevator pitch can make it persuasive and interesting while keeping it short and simple.
If used well, this brief speech will spark interest in you, your company, or your product. It can be a gamechanger for expanding your network, landing a job, or making a new acquaintance at work.
This is a compilation of elevator pitch examples and useful tips. These can help you create and deliver your best personal presentation.
An Elevator Pitch - What Is It?
The elevator pitch has been around for a long time. It began in the golden age of Hollywood.
Ambitious screenwriters would try to catch a studio executive in an elevator ride. The executive had no way out and the screenwriters could pitch their idea for the “next big blockbuster.”
The duration of the elevator ride was their only chance. So they had to be quick, concise, and persuasive enough to awaken the executive’s curiosity.
An elevator pitch is a short, pre-prepared speech. It is clear and succinct while explaining what your organization does.
It can also be effective in sparking interest in a product, service, idea, or you. It should last somewhere between 20 and 30 seconds - just like an elevator ride.
It must be captivating, memorable, and compact. It has to show why your offer is second to none. If you're a fan of the TV show Shark Tank, here are some of the best pitches from there.
Using a Twitter post as a comparison, imagine trying to present yourself or a business idea in three tweets. Why such a comparison?
There are 140 characters available in one Twitter post. Since an average English word has 4.5 characters, a 140-character post consists of about 25 words.
The majority of people speak at a rate of 120-200 words per minute. So it is reasonable to conclude that there are about 75 words in a 30-second elevator speech.
That is the equivalent of three Twitter posts.
An Elevator Pitch - When and How?
Having a prepared elevator pitch is useful when introducing yourself at major events. This could be a networking event or some kind of professional association program.
An elevator pitch is a must for every salesperson. Whenever and wherever there are potential clients, be ready to deliver an elevator pitch.
Those you meet may be polite, but they really want to know “What can you do for me?” With that in mind, it is important to answer this question as soon as possible.
Show how your company can benefit them or how it can solve their specific problems. Customize the problem, turn it into a question, and make sure that the only solution to that issue is your offer.
Accomplish this by sticking to the following steps:
- Create an attractive “Introductory Sentence”. It needs to answer that universal question: “What does your company do?”
- Follow up with a common issue that the product or service helps deal with. Show how your offer can solve the problem or improve the situation.
- Showcase the advantages of using your company. Do not be general. Focus on specific and measurable benefits.
- Finally, present the unique product differentiation. Distinguish what you sell from what the competitors sell. Explain why the prospect should buy from you and not from the competition.
An Elevator Pitch - Tips to Follow
Grab Attention
The best elevator pitch examples are conversation starters. The goal is to schedule a business meeting to present the offer in full.
A successful elevator pitch catches the prospect’s attention and makes them want to learn more.
What Does Your Company Do?
To present any subject in a simple way it is necessary to understand it well. So it is important to have a clear idea of what your company does.
It is also necessary to know its mission and the goal of the products or services. The more in-depth your company knowledge, the more tailored the pitch can be.
Outline What You Do
Now is the time to briefly present your background. Ensure that the information about education, work experience, and strengths are relevant.
A good tip is to write everything down first. Then cross off anything that is not crucial to explaining your background.
Present Your Value Offer
What makes your company, product, or service stand head and shoulders above the competition? Make sure to include one or two concise statements about the unique value of your offer to the customers.
Shy Away from Jargon
An elevator pitch must convey the message as clearly as possible. Business jargon and buzzwords may confuse listeners and make them lose interest in the offer.
Be Natural
It’s not just what a person says but also the way they say it that counts. When talking to another person the interaction should feel natural.
As good as it is to prepare a pitch, the presentation of it should not sound fake and rehearsed.
Conclude with a Call to Action
An effective elevator pitch ends with what you would like to happen next. It’s possible here to either ask a question or make a statement.
Perhaps ask a simple question like: “Is this something you might need assistance with?” Or take the initiative and exchange business cards with the prospect.
Another option is to connect with them on LinkedIn.
Great Elevator Pitch Examples
Famous for his unmatched presentation skills, Steve Jobs has become known for coming up with top-notch. He managed to persuade John Sculley to leave Pepsi Co. and join Apple Inc by asking one simple question: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?”
Below are several examples of great elevator speeches that you can use to create your perfect pitch. Remember to build in crucial information about your background and the specific value you can provide.
Context: Sales
“My name is Sarah, and I run a trucking company. It's a family-owned business, and we think the personal touch makes a big difference to our customers.
Not only do we guarantee on-time delivery, but my father and I personally answer the phones, not an automated system.”
Context: Sales
“Has your boss ever asked you to "whip up a quick report before the end of the day"?
You say yes with a sinking heart -- because you know it'll be the opposite of quick.
The founders of my company, AnswerASAP, constantly dealt with this problem in their roles as marketing executives.
So they created a tool that puts all your data in one place and creates unique reports within 30 seconds or less.”
Context: Pitching a new client
“Nice to meet you, I’m Jane Smith. I’m a content strategist who owns an agency that works specifically with global healthcare leaders.
We have worked with four major brands [list them here], resulting in a 200 percent increase in traffic and a 20 percent increase in converting new suppliers.
We see the opportunity to create an SEO-driven blog for your company and would love to set up a call to explore next steps. Does tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST work for you? Let me know!”
Context: Sales
“Hi, my name is Derek and I noticed that your company hasn’t made the upgrade to solar power. Numerous companies have made the switch to solar technology and couldn’t be happier with the results.
They are keeping costs down by wasting less electricity and have found an increase in sales and productivity.
Employees know that they are making a difference and helping the environment by using green technology, which makes them feel better and work harder for your company!
By becoming a 'green' company, you will have a better public image and be on the cutting edge of business technology."
Context: Sales
“Ranchers are often frustrated by the effort it takes to hand-shear their angora alpacas.
DroneClip eliminates the need to chase, restrain, and trim these beautiful beasts.
For over 5 years, alpaca farmers have trusted DroneClip to provide the best solutions in alpaca ranching.
With our safe and reliable drone aircraft, you can spend less time shearing and manage a larger herd.
I’ll give you a call to learn more about your situation. Thanks for your time.”
Context: Service Offer
"My name's Mark Armstrong. I'm an illustrator.
I do business as Mark Armstrong Illustration – clever name, right?
I help brands get noticed and connect with people. I specialize in humor, which helps humanize a brand and makes it easier to relate to.
Humor also gets people to drop their shields long enough to hear what you have to say.
I also illustrate books and do editorial work for magazines. Mark Armstrong Illustration, at your service!"
Context: Startup Owners
“My company develops and designs personalized online sales funnels [what your company does].
That means two things: one, online customers enjoy a flawless user experience tailored to their needs and interests, and two: our clients get automated solutions that dramatically boost sales [unique business proposition].
We helped our last client increase online revenue by 120% month-on-month [hard numbers behind your results]. Does your company have any experience with ecommerce automation?”
Context: Sales
“There are 40MM independent workers in the US: consultants, freelancers, and small business owners.
Solving office space is tough and expensive, especially in cities like New York. We created the concept of space as a service.
We have 20 locations in the city- where people can rent a desk or an office without any of the complications of a traditional lease, effectively saving at least 25% of the cost.
They get access to a shared front desk, mailroom, and a community of like-minded people.”
Context: Introducing yourself at a networking event
“Nice to meet you, I’m John Doe.
After spending eight years working in the banking industry, I’ve recently made the switch to marketing and communications.
I’m most interested in exploring opportunities that allow me to use my analytical and data skills to provide effective and creative solutions to drive leads.
I’m willing and excited to explore a variety of companies, including those in healthcare, travel and consumerism. Can I send you my resume after this event?”
Context: Sales
"My company develops mobile applications that businesses use to train their staff remotely.
This means that senior managers can spend time on other important tasks. Unlike other similar companies, we visit each organization to find out exactly what people need.
This means that, on average, 95 percent of our clients are happy with the first version of their app. So, how does your organization handle the training of new people?"
Context: Sales
“Hi, my name is Linda and I am here representing ______ water filters.
Are you familiar with our products? We are moving into several new markets and I am hoping to bring you to the forefront of our brand new campaign.
By choosing our water filters, you are making a decision to provide your employees with fresh, clean water.
Our products are made with a new type of filtering system that is built to provide healthy water free of dangerous minerals and other types of pollutants.
I know that you are based in the downtown area where having a clean water system is very important.
Our company will have a booth set up in Room 3 tomorrow afternoon where we will be giving out free samples of our water filters.
I look forward to seeing you tomorrow afternoon. Here is my business card in case you have any further questions and would like to get in touch…”
Context: Seeking an Investor
“Thanks for meeting today. I’m Dr. Jane Smith, the founder and executive chairman for Good Snacks.
After working as a medical professional at the Good Hope Hospital for a decade, I kept seeing a dramatic rise in obesity.
Of the 20 patients I saw in a day, at least 60 percent of them were overweight and helpless to make a lifestyle change.
This is where I saw an opportunity: affordable, healthy snacks that are accessible and delicious.
Our brand has experienced a 200 percent increase year-over-year in sales and our community has collectively lost a staggering 2,000 pounds.
I would like to explore how we can partner to make these numbers even more impressive.”
Context: Sales
“As an account executive for AnswerASAP, I talk to hundreds of marketers per month. And 99% of them hate creating reports.
It's time-consuming, it's tedious, and it's usually not your highest priority. That's where our tool comes in -- it pulls from all of your data to create any report you want in less than the time it takes to pour a cup of coffee.”
Context: Service Offer
“I help restaurants with multiple locations organize their customer data and boost their sales up to 10%, without having to spend any additional time or money on advertising.
Do you know any restaurants with multiple locations that want to boost their sales up to 10%?”
Context: Sales
“Pressed is an intelligent personal assistant designed to keep people focused on whatever goals they have; like working out, eating healthier, or even just drinking more water.
Want to run a 5k?
Pressed will learn that your office isn’t the place to remind you to train. However, it may notice you’ve been at home for a while and may have the time to get out there and break a sweat.”
Context: Sales
“Do you hate shearing stubborn alpacas by hand?
I’m Joe Neely from DroneClip. I enjoy connecting animal lovers to technologies like our DroneScoop waste solution. I’m here at the Alpaca Festival to learn from you, the experts.
Our hands-free DroneClip shearing system outperforms hand-shears so you can limit your employee hours. We saved one rancher, Bob Mikabob, over 40 weekly work hours.
When can I visit your farm, demonstrate our product, and meet your neighbors?”
Context: Service Offer
"I'm Megan Moran, and I'm a wardrobe stylist for busy businesswomen.
I help them take the stress out of getting dressed by cleaning out their closets, mixing and matching what they own, and shopping for what they need, ultimately saving them time, easing frustration, and leaving them feeling confident in their clothes."
Context: Sales
“Your marketing team members will each spend approximately 8,730 minutes of their work year putting together reports.
Across your teams and departments, how much money can you save if you took that chore off their to-do lists with Answer ASAP, the reporting tool that automatically pulls your data into an easy-to-read (and send) dashboard?
We've saved companies thousands of dollars per year, and they're operating more efficiently than ever.”
Context: Service Offer
“Many businesses get caught up in having the most followers or earning a checkmark next to their name on social media.
While that’s a great goal to have, I dig far deeper than that. My objective as a social media manager is to help businesses develop real, authentic connections with their customers, building mutual trust and respect.
Are you only in it for the clout? You might want to reconsider.”
Context: Sales
“Understand your niche to make better marketing decisions, capture higher page rankings in Google, make valuable new connections and boost your earnings quickly.
Don’t waste time guessing what it takes to win valuable search keywords.
Work out who is winning. Find out who links to them. Build your own backlinks. Try it out. Research a website right now.”
Context: Commercial Real Estate
“I have a broad-based practice, so let me give you a specific example.
I was called in four months before the grand opening of the Ritz Carleton in Boston to transition it from a construction project to an operating hotel.
While four months is not usually enough time for this type of project, I hired and trained the staff such as concierges and doormen, wrote the operating manuals on what to say and how to dress, and made sure that the hotel, theater, and retail space systems all worked smoothly together.
The hotel opened on time. My name is _____ with _______________, and a great referral for me is a commercial construction project that’s within a year of its grand opening.”
Context: Sales
"Hux is an online platform directly connecting local consumers with house cleaners.
With Hux, you can easily compare local house cleaners on total price, reviews, availability and instantly book a service.
Our technology empowers local house cleaners by replacing costly overhead found in the traditional service industry and makes it easy for consumers to book services online in just two minutes.
Just think of us as the Uber of house cleaning!"
Context: Service Offer
“I help job seekers who want to advance their careers and find a job in 60 days or less, without having to memorize hundreds of answers or spend hours studying.
Do you know any job seekers who want to find a job in 60 days or less?”
Context: Business Lawyer
“I have a broad business practice so let me give you an example. I was working with a guy who originally called me to handle a trademark matter which we took care of.
As I got to know his business, it turned out that his larger issue was that his Ph.D. employees were stealing his ideas and he didn’t have any agreements in place to prevent it.
I worked with him to create non-compete and non-disclosure agreements to protect his intellectual property and his business.
My name is ______ and I’m a business lawyer who specializes in keeping you out of court.”
Context: Sales
“Yuck–I can’t believe how much loose alpaca hair floats around in our barn.
I just got some in my mouth! Wouldn’t it be great if someone kept this place hair-free?
I’d be glad to go around and scoop it all up. If we added a Chief Wool-Gatherer position, it would surely pay for itself by reducing waste and increasing profits.
Tell the boss you want me to start, right away!”
Context: Service Offer
"I'm Brian Pendergraft, Esq., and I am a full-service real estate and title attorney.
I help with ABCDEF: agreements, business entity formation, closings and title, deeds, evictions, and foreclosure.
For all of your real estate legal needs, it's as simple as ABC; work with me."
Context: Adding a contact
“Hello! My name is Anwar, it’s a pleasure to meet you.
I have a background in Business Analytics with just over 10 years of experience creating data-driven solutions for various business problems.
Specifically, I love and have had great success in the strategic evaluation of data analysis with our executive staff.
It sounds like you do similar work—I would love to keep in touch to learn more about what you and your company do.”
Context: Service Offer
"I'm Megan Moran, and I am the owner and wardrobe stylist at The Style Foundry.
We are a full-service wardrobe styling business that helps you take the stress out of getting dressed through our styling services.
A typical customer cycle starts with a Closet Cleanse, where I clean out your closet, tell you what to keep and get rid of, take pictures of all of the yeses and then upload them to an app/website where I mix and match them into over 100 different outfits from what you already own.
From there, I am able to really see what's missing and what you need.
We can tackle that by personal shopping, which is done in-person at your favorite stores or ones I suggest; virtual shopping, which is done online (I send you my finds, you buy what you like, and then when all of the items arrive at your house, I come in for a fitting); or through our mobile boutique, which we can pull up in your driveway and fill it with our pieces that best fit your style and shopping list.
It's the best of online and boutique shopping."
Ending thoughts on the best elevator pitch examples
What makes an elevator pitch effective?
At a networking event, in a line, on public transport, or in an elevator. There are likely to be people there, and they may well ask: “What do you do?” or “Where do you work?”
This person, or someone they know, may just be your perfect client. To answer them, you need a brief, simple, yet memorable presentation of your company and what it offers.
Examine the elevator speeches above and decide which style is best for you and your offer. Then test it out on several people to see what adjustments to make.
Whatever the style of the pitch, always ensure it is concise and appealing. It should highlight the value of your offer to the listener.
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